The Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy provides a means of engaging with the issues of the contemporary world – by stimulating research and engagement activity across the whole institution and by building external partnerships.

Research Themes

These themes help RASP focus our research efforts but are not exclusive.

The University of Divinity's Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy held the second annual RASP Public Conversation. The event, chaired by former ABC host John Cleary, focused on the Ruddock Inquiry. Speakers included Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO, keynote address; Dr Sharon Rodrick, Institute for Civil Society view; and Reverend Dr Robyn Whitaker, University of Divinity view.

In pre-democratic, pre-modern times, religion had been at the centre of much of human life, filling the private as well as the public realm. However, in major modern democracies religion has mostly been sidelined from public life. Or has it? Religion is now legally excluded in politics, yet in increasingly post-secular societies globally, matters of faith (religion, spirituality) are no longer as stringently excluded from public life. Our dawning post-secular age is bringing something new...

On Thursday 29 June RASP hosted a major public conversation between two world-renowned bioethicists, Professor Peter Singer and Professor Margaret Somerville. The event was chaired by John Cleary. Some 400 members of the public attended and were able to ask questions from the Presenters.

Jun 29, 2017

Opinion

Read about current issues in religion and social policy from members of RASP and the University of Divinity. The University consists of eleven colleges representing a diverse range of Christian traditions so most blogs will reflect the perspective of our members but in engagement with a range of other perspectives. Contributors should send article material to the Director of RASP, Revd Dr Gordon Preece. gpreece@divinity.edu.au

Disclaimer: The University of Divinity does not accept any responsibility or liability for the opinions expressed in these pages.

Dr Mick Pope will launch his new book All Things New: God's plan to renew our world at the upcoming Justice Conference, in Melbourne from 26-27 October 2018. It is a refreshing read filled with hope of the redemption of our future and the world in which we live 🌏

Why is our prime minister so poor on matters of gender and sexuality? Why won’t he clearly state that no institution in Australia, including schools, should be able to discriminate against children on the basis of their sexuality? Why won’t he condemn gay conversion therapy, despite widespread agreement within the medical community that it has no therapeutic value and is likely to harm?

The Centre for Research in Religion & Social Policy (RASP) of the University of Divinity has been well represented again at the recent ARPA (Australasian Religious Press Association) 2018 awards for work published in 2017.

It permits those being married in the UCA to choose between two authorised marriage liturgies - one that continues to use the traditional language of “husband and wife” and one that speaks of the union of “two people” and is therefore open to same-sex couples.

The choice also allows clergy, like myself, to exercise individual freedom of conscience. Ministers will not be compelled to marry a same-sex couple if it goes against their personal understanding of marriage. This freedom reflects the diversity of opinion on the matter while upholding a fundamental commitment of the UCA to maintain diversity in unity.

In this essay I focus on Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers in detention, particularly in those three weeks from 31 October 2017. The issue is not resolved, as recent reports of inadequate medical care—particularly in mental health—for detainees on Nauru and in the new facilities on Manus indicate (e.g. Davidson 2018a; Syed 2018). Since the forced transfer of the men, however, the Australian media has largely lost interest and even public Australian activism has died down, though there were rallies on Palm Sunday (25 March 2018) for refugees; on 1 March 2018 Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne launched a campaign to #changethepolicy; and between 16 and 22 July 2018 #FiveYearsTooMany rallies were held around Australia.

In close collaboration with the climate scientists, Pope Francis is in no doubt about the reality of climate change and highlights our moral responsibility at this time of acute peril.

Francis warned against the power of special interests and manipulation of information by economic interests: “human beings, while capable of the worst”, are also capable of “choosing again what is good, and making a new start” to implement the deep changes needed. He concluded that God’s “love constantly impels us to find new ways forward.”